Brake-beam.



PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

G. A. LINDSTRUM.

BRAKE BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 0, 1907.

WITNESSES UNITED- STATES FFIOE.

CHARLES A. LINDSTROM, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T O PRESSE D STEEL CAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BRAKE-BEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed May 6, 1907- Ssrial No. 371,990;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LrNDs'rRoM, of Allegheny, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Brake- Beams, of which the following isa full, clear-,arid exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part oi this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view partly broken away of a brake beam embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an edge or front view of the same with the tension member partially broken away; Fig. 3 is a similar view of one end of the compression member with the brake shoe support removed; Figs. 4 and 5 are sections taken on the lines IVIV and V-V respectively of Fig.2; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 3.

My invention has relation to that class of brake beams generally designated as trussed beams, and is intended to provide a brake beam having its compression member so designed and constructed as to ,obtain a maximumof strength with a minimum amount of metal. In a brake beam of this character, in order that the compression .member may have sufficient strength bothhorizontally and vertically, it should be proportioned according to the requirements of a column of two different lengths or units; that is, horizontally in the direction of the applied force, which should have proportions required by a column whose length is the distance from the center of the beam, where it is supported by center strut, to the end of the beam, where it is held by the tension member or rod. Vertically, the compression member should have proportions such as are required by a column whose length is the distance between the two ends, and which is twice the length first mentioned. The weakest part of the-column is at the center of it length, at which point the effective area'of the material should be the greatest. The further a given area of the material is removed fiom the neutral axis of the section, the greater is the efiiciency to withstand bending force. It has been found that a compression member constructed from a single rolled piece of material will not mee these requirements with a minimum amount of metal, by reason'of the fact that such a member has the same areathroughout-its length, and if made sufficiently heavy at its central portion, there is more material at the end portions than the stresses demand. It has also been difficult to meet these requirements by a built-up compression member owing to the fact that the members or parts thereof cannot'easily be so shaped and connected as to give the desired disposition of metal.

It is well known that in built-up trussed constructions, such as brake beams or bolsters, a 'camberor arching of the compression member in a direction away from the applied force gives the strongest construction, and this arching is easily done'when the between its ends in a longitudinal direction.

member is cast, as extra operations are avoided, which are necessary with other material. Further, cast material is more suitable to compression stresses than to tensile stresses, and forged or rolled material more suit able to tensile stresses.

.. My present invention is therefore designed to meet u ribs or projections 3 which extend continuously from one end of the member to the other. The section is further reinforced in a vertical direction by means of a plurality of transverse ribs or projections 4 which connect the flanges of the section at intervals and divide the trough into a series of cell like compartments These ribs to facilitate removal of the pattern from the sand and -to avoid cores, are made parallel with each other instead-of at right angles to the camber oi the compression member. The central portion of the Web 5 is preferably cored out at intervals, as indicated at 6 to form openings which reduce the weight of the member, this metal being removed along the central line where it has little effect upon the strength of the member. The web, however, is preferably reinforced along each side of this series of openings, by

the longitudinally extending ribs 7 which unite the transverse ribs 4. The reinforcing ribs 3, 4 and 7 will prevent buckling of the free edges of the compression member, and less average thickness of the walls may be used. i

The compression member has its greatest width at its central portion, and decreases in width toward each end, as shown in Fig. 2. It is also preferably arched The ends of the member are of reduced thickness in a vertical direction, as shown at 8 in Fig. 3' to receive the brake shoe heads or supports 9 which embrace the reduced end portions and are secured by the bolts or rivets 9- which extend through the bearing portions 9".

10 designates the usual tension member which is preferably a continuous bent rod whose end portions extend up through the end portions of the compression member, and are secured by the nuts 11 which bear against seats 12 formed integral with the heads or supports 9. v

13 is the usual center strut which is secured between the flanges of the compression member. This strut carries the bearings for the central portion of the tension member 10.

By the construction above described I provide a brake beam whose compression member can be cheaply changes in the details of construction, without departing from the spirit and scope of myv invention, since,

What 1 claim is by an integral casting having a greater eitective area of material at its central portion than at its ends; substan tially as described.

2. A trussed brake beam having'its compression member formed by an integral casting of trough shape in crosssection, and of greater effective sectional area at its central portion than at its ends; substantially as described.

3. A trussed brake-beam having its compression member formed by an integral casting of trough shape in crosssection, and having reinforcing ribs; substantially as described. ,7

4. A brake beam having; a compression member formed by a single casting of trough shape in cross-section, the free edges of the flanges of the section having longitudinally extending ribs or enlargements substantially as described.

,5. A brake beam'having acompression member formed by an integral casting of trough shape in cross-section,

1. A brake beam having a compression member formed 'andhaving the danges of the section connected by transan integral casting of trough shape in cross-section, and

having its vertical or web portion provided with longitu- 'dinally extending ribs; substantially as described.

T. In a brake beam, a compression member consisting; of an integral casting having openings along the center line of its vertical or web portion, and longitudwally-extending reinforcing ribs adjacent to said openings; substantially as described.

8. A trussed brake beam having a compression member formed by an integral casting of trough shape in crosssection, said section being deeper at the central portion of the-member than atits ends substantially as described.

9. A irussed brake beam having a compression member formed of an integral casting of trough shape in crosssection, alnd formed with longitudinally and transverselyextending 1' .-':ini'orceinents; substantially as described.

10. A brake beam having a compressed member formed by an integral casting of trough shape in cross-section, and arched between its ends in a horizontal direction; substantially as described. I

11. A brake beam having a compression member formed by an integral casting of trough shape in cross-section. said cross-section being deeper at the central portion of the member than at its ends, and the member arched between its ends in a horizontal direction; substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

cHAnnEs A. LINDs'riu'in.

Witnesses ILL. Rourxsox, H. B. FISHER. 

